Transportation Cabinet Secretary Ricky Serna
By DANIEL J. CHACÓN
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Over the last five years, New Mexico State Police has issued more than 13,000 citations in construction zones.
Officers could get help with writing more under a bill the New Mexico Department of Transportation unveiled Tuesday.
Senate Bill 241 would authorize the department to place automated speed enforcement cameras in construction zones, joining 42 other states that have already adopted such measures to protect workers, Transportation Cabinet Secretary Ricky Serna said during a news briefing at the Capitol.
“Automated speed enforcement cameras work,” he said. “They’re proven to work. They’ve been proven to reduce speeding by 50 to 60% and cut crashes by up to 30% in other states.”
Construction zones are danger zones, Serna said.
In the first 30 days of work on a road improvement project on Interstate 25 between Comanche Road and Montgomery Boulevard in Albuquerque, “we had 28 crashes with workers on site,” he said.
The proposal calls for a $50 fine for going 5 to 10 mph over the posted speed limit, $100 for going 11 to 15 miles over and $200 for anything above that.
“Unlike human enforcement, cameras provide 24/7 unbiased monitoring, making them a cost-effective solution for improving safety in high-risk areas,” reads a pamphlet handed out at the briefing.
Serna said he and New Mexico Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Jason Bowie have partnered with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s support to stand up the program.
“The state police will issue the citations. The Department of Transportation will use the revenue to pay for the program and to promote awareness about work zone safety,” he said.
Bowie called the proposed speed enforcement cameras a “game changer” for public safety.
“This is really just about saving lives,” he said, adding automated speed enforcement frees up law enforcement resources.
“This bill allows New Mexico State Police to focus on critical public safety duties while we ensure at the same time that these speeding violations are not overlooked within our construction zones,” he said.
Serna also announced a separate bill that would authorize $1.5 billion in bonds for state highway projects.
“In New Mexico, we need a funding source for roads,” said Sen. George Muñoz, a Gallup Democrat who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. “We haven’t increased the gasoline tax in over 20 years.”